Lace bugs, aphids, white flies, borers, chinch bugs and
scale are all insects that are better to prevent or protect your plant from
before the insects attack.
Lace bugs, aphids, white flies, and scale attack ornamental
plants and trees and generally suck the sap out of the plants leaves for the
sugar and nutrient value. The insect does not have to suck, like we do with a
thick milk shake, because the plant’s system is pressurized and the plant
juices come out on their own like air out of a tire.
Lace bugs, aphids, white flies, and scale are very host
specific (like the taste of certain plants). There are many types of lace bugs.
Some of their favorite plants and trees include sycamores, azaleas, lantanas,
and oak trees. Aphids love crepe myrtles and roses. White flies attack
gardenias and citrus. Scale is common on camellias, magnolias, sago palms, and
hollies.
Lace bugs, aphids, white flies, and scale suck vital fluids
from the plant, but the worst consequence is the sooty mold that grows on some
of these insect’s excrement (poop). These insects have a very small digestive
tract and a lot of the plants fluid passes through them undigested and a mold
call sooty mold grows on the poop. This black sooty mold gets all over whatever
is around the plant.
The sooty mold from a tree like a crepe myrtle could get on
under lying plants, porches, houses, cars, driveways, swing sets and anything
else in the area as well as the crepe myrtle itself making a huge mess and
ruining paint jobs.
The sooty mold blocks light that is trying to get to the
leaves to perform photosynthesis. A plant feeds itself by getting sunlight to
the leaves, so the plant can starve to death or certainly be weakened if the
sooty mold is covering the plant.
Lace bugs, aphids, white flies, and scale poop, also called
honey dew (not to be confused with “ honey do list”), also attracts small,
sugar feeding ants (Argentina ants) that can get in your house and be a
problem.
You probably know if you have a history with these sucking
bugs, so you can target certain plants. Dominion has many formulations to meet
your needs (even Dominion Fruit & Vegetable for your citrus). The best way
to use this product is as a drench; therefore, no beneficial insects are
harmed. The product will usually provide season long control of these different
pests if used as a systemic drench. The active ingredient is in a class of
chemistry that acts on something insects have and use and mammals do not. This
same active ingredient is used as a spot treatment on dogs for fleas and other
pests.
Neem oil and IC3 are organic solutions to these sucking bugs.
Prevention and protection will avoid a sooty, poopy mess!
